


In the Glass and Light

by for1dollarnameawoman



Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: Christmas, Ellis family, Fluff, M/M, Post-Canon, Thomas is great with children, but we already knew that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:35:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26612302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/for1dollarnameawoman/pseuds/for1dollarnameawoman
Summary: Thomas meets Richard's family for the first time, and his best impression is made on its youngest member.
Relationships: Thomas Barrow/Richard Ellis
Comments: 18
Kudos: 130





	In the Glass and Light

**Author's Note:**

  * For [smithens](https://archiveofourown.org/users/smithens/gifts).



> smithens: Thomas should get to hold a baby  
> me: *eyes emoji*  
> them: *eyes emoji*  
> (essentially)
> 
> This was written over like two weeks, but not worked on very hard so bear with me lol. I don't hate it and I don't love it, but I hope it's kinda cute!
> 
> Title from the song "God in Chicago" by Craig Finn, which is a song with a VERY different vibe than this fic, except for a select few lyrics (I've got nothing going on tomorrow // Maybe we could stay here tonight // Lose ourselves in the glass and light) and it just fit.

It wasn’t as if he wasn’t used to being a fly on the wall during a social hour. Just under two decades of working as a step above an accent piece at a dinner table and a childhood of being told he was to be seen and not heard was preparation enough for that.

But it was different now that he’d been extended an invitation to a family get together, all the while being told that Clara and Frank and Elizabeth and the rest of the Ellis clan had been keen to finally meet who I’ve been jabbering on about, as Richard had put it. Now, he couldn’t even keep up in the conversation he’d been invited to, when it was surrounded around people he didn’t know and current events of the Ellis family he wasn’t yet privy to.

“You know poor old Donnie Wilson?”

“Oh, yeah, what’s he up to?”

“Well, ran into John Harnett just last week - they still keep in touch - and apparently Don’s moving to Leicester. Lost his job awhile back, but his wife’s got family down there who can help put them up for the time being. Worse luck.”

“Damn shame. Don’s always seemed alright.”

Richard could have pointed to any bloke on the street and told him it was Donnie Wilson, and he would have believed it. Pity to him that he fell on hard times, but he really couldn’t give a toss.

“Yeah, but you hear it more and more these days. I already wrote to you about Bill and Catherine…”

In the end, Thomas could hardly blame them all, he supposed. They only got so many days out of the year to catch up in person (and for the past two years, Thomas was stealing most of Richard’s time off to himself).

Most of the Ellises had already met up on actual Christmas Day, too, so of course today, all attention was turned to Richard who could only make the journey up to York a bit into the new year.

However, it didn’t make Thomas feel any less a odd to be sitting a calculated distance away from Richard (not close enough to touch, but also not so far apart that it was awkward), nursing some sort of mixed drink (too sweet for his taste, but he wasn’t about to complain), and to both be actively listening but not too engaging (even though he hadn’t been spoken to directly in a good twenty minutes).

What else was one to do though when meeting his lover’s family for the first time, especially when said lover had wanted to “not be too obvious.” But it wasn’t like they were pretending either -

“Thomas?”

A hand found his knee, but the gesture didn’t linger. Just enough to pull him out of his internal ramblings and into a few expectant faces around the living room.

“Sorry?” he asked lamely, making a failed attempt at a dry laugh to lighten the mood.

But Frank, (eldest brother, husband of Clara, three children, he’d memorized before coming. Just in case, to not look a fool) didn’t show any malice if he felt it by Thomas’s absentmindedness.

“Just asked how everything was fairing over at your place,” he repeated in kind. “Dick’s said he doesn’t think the markets will cost anyone their position over at the palace. Hope it’s the same for you all, but,” he shrugged. “Guess you can never know in times like these.”

Bit of a loaded question to get him back into the conversation, but not one he hasn’t already been asked lately.

“Just talks of downsizing so far. But no, nothing official yet,” he said. “It’s a waiting game I suppose. Everything’s still pretty hush-hush to how the family is holding up. Haven’t said anything to the lower staff yet.”

Frank nodded, taking a sip of his own drink. “Perhaps you ought to.”

“Frank -” Clara butted in with a nervous chuckle and eyeroll.

“No, no, I’m just thinking, if I was still a footman or what have you, I’d rather not spend my days wondering. I’d rather know what might be ahead, in case I’ve got to come up with some sort of plan.”

Richard, ever the valiant mediator, took chimed back in. 

“Well, I’m sure it’s a very touchy situation -”

“No, you may be right,” Thomas said, sitting a bit taller. “But nothing’s been decided, like I said. Bit hard to drop a hint when you don’t know what you’re hinting at.”

Elizabeth (younger sister, wife to Daniel who couldn’t come, two children) shot him a smug smile, and a supportive laugh. 

“Some say ignorance is bliss, Frank,” she teased. 

“Not everyone. I’m not sure there’s a benefit to that when it comes to -”

Everyone fell silent as a soft screech came from the corner of the room where Elizabeth had sat Percy (six months old) in a playpen just before they all got settled into chatting. They all turned, making sure the stirring didn’t develop into a full blown tantrum. 

Percy just sat and looked at them all in return, before returning to his important business of chewing on a wooden building block. 

He was a ham, and seemed to already know he could get attention any time he wanted, wrapped around everyone’s little finger. And rightfully so.

Elizabeth introduced him to Richard right as they came through the door, and Thomas didn’t think he’d ever seen the man’s face light up so fast. Percy was already all smiles at the sight of an uncle he hadn’t met before, as Richard let him take his finger in his hand as he sat in his mother’s arms.

Right as they all began to collectively turn back towards each other, Ann, who insisted that Thomas not address her as Mrs. Ellis, popped her head into the doorway, with impeccable timing that prevented the previous topic of conversation from being continued.

“Hannah and I could use a hand in the kitchen if you ladies wouldn’t mind,” she said, a bit exasperated, wiping her hands on the apron tied around her waist. “Dickie, Frank, make yourselves useful and get the table ready, would you? The leaf is in the hall closet somewhere. And use the good silverware, please.”

Dickie was a new one that Thomas would be asking about later.

The rest of their small party was making their way out, and Thomas made way to follow, but Ann waved him down before he could even get off the sofa.

“Oh, not you dear, you’re a guest,” she said with a warm smile, not unlike her son’s. Reaching her eyes in a gentle way, even though it was small. “I couldn’t ask you to do anything. Just relax, dinner will be done soon enough.”

“I don’t mind -” he started to protest, before Richard gave his shoulder a squeeze. 

“You heard the woman,” he teased. “Put your feet up and stay awhile, Mr. Barrow.” 

Infuriating, lovely man that he is.

Elizabeth also patted him on the shoulder as she left, the same sly smile she had as she stood against her eldest brother on his behalf. Or at least he hoped it was on his behalf. In hindsight he could have just been made fun of, very discreetly.

“I’ve a job for you, if you don’t mind,” she said. “Would you mind keeping an eye on Percy?” she nodded over to where the baby still sat, happily playing away in his corner. “He shouldn’t be a problem, but you can come grab me if he gets fussy.”

Well, that was a task he didn’t mind in the slightest. And a sign he already made his way to at least one Ellis sibling’s good side.

It earned her a smile in return. “Of course.”

Elizabeth patted his arm. “You’re a dear.”

Although Thomas felt a bit useless just sitting around while the rest of his hosts busied themselves, at least he could abandon the drink in his hand to a coaster on the table in front of him. Whatever buzz may come of it was not worth the accompanying syrup that seemed to make up the bulk of the cocktail.

Percy watched his mother leave, eyes going wide when she disappeared around the corner and into the hallway, staring stock-still with the same toy at my mouth.

Then, his eyes searched around the room in what appeared to be the sudden realization that his mum was gone, landing on Thomas, now the sole person of authority in the room.

If there was a God somewhere, He’d certainly be hearing Thomas’s prayers that this child would not immediately wail the second he realized he was left alone with a stranger.

With the children at Downton, he supposed it may be a different story. Any of them were actually more accustomed to finding easy trust in the multiple nannies that have come and gone and members of staff that paid them more mind than their own parents at times.

But, of course that wasn’t the case for an Ellis (or in Percy’s case, technically a Walker) child, who was likely spoiled in an entirely different way. Showered in love and attention from actual family.

Since Thomas was the single outlier to that formula in the house at the moment, his prayers for dry eyes were unfounded. Percy studied Thomas for a moment, before he pouted his lower lip and his eyes began to well up with tears.

The crying was admittedly less endearing than the babbling from just minutes ago, sudden and sharp and sad.

He couldn’t already get Elizabeth to come back. And a tearful baby wasn’t anything he hadn’t dealt with before. 

Without much of a thought, he crossed the room and stooped down to the infant’s level.

Why Thomas thought his presence would make things better when it was the very thing Percy was likely bawling over, he couldn’t say, other than that’s what’s worked in the past with little ones he did know.

He reached over the bars of the playpen, rubbing what he hoped was a soothing hand at his back.

“There, now,” Thomas said in a low voice that only came out when dealing with upset children. “It can’t be as bad as all that.”

Percy stifled his cries for only a moment, but as he caught sight of who exactly the hand belonged to, he only sobbed louder.

Perhaps there was no avoiding tears without so much as a familiar face to calm the poor babe’s nerves.

It could prove true for the both of them. The two newest members of the family (if Thomas could be so bold to think of himself as such), taking solace in just one person each for the night. It was fitting, really.

Thomas straightened up, scooping the baby into his arms as he went to go fetch someone who could better translate his weeping into what he needed.

“Let’s go take a walk, then, shall we?” he asked in the same tone as before, bouncing him a little as they made their way into the hallway.

Percy still whined a bit, but the wailing died down as he pressed his tear streaked face into Thomas’s shoulder, just barely peeking over his back. His tiny fingers curled over the lapel of his jacket, tugging absentmindedly. 

But the tugging turned from oblivious to determined as Percy pushed himself back up off his jacket, clasping at anything he could find on him, moving to his tie, dislodging it from its tidy place underneath his vest. 

It was enough to give Thomas pause, noting that the distraction was enough to make him stop from wailing for a moment.

“Is that what you wanted?” he asked, laughing a bit. “Just to get a better go at me?”

Percy cooed, eyes still bright as he pulled the tie completely out, now wrinkled in his fist, giving it a good shake.

He looked rather proud of himself, starting to smile a bit as he flopped the tie about like some sort of limp toy.

Percy eventually let it drop, instead moving his hand to grab Thomas square on the nose.

Thomas made a face as Percy continued to rough up his appearance, grabbing for anything from his face to his clothes -- anything he could fit into his tiny hand and give a squeeze.

He made a go at pulling his hair, which was enough to get a small yelp out of Thomas, but not enough for him to get upset when he found Percy’s new obsession was enough to make the baby giggle and squeal.

“Oi, you think it’s funny to mess me up a bit don’t you?” Thomas asked, laughing right along with him.

He was a sweet thing, as most children were, but out of all the babies Thomas has had the pleasure of doting on, Percy was weaseling his way into his heart a bit faster. Just a minute or so in his arms, and he had already gone head over heels for him.

Perhaps he ought to be taught not to grab and pull, but Thomas couldn’t find the heart to say no, when their little game really did no harm to anyone, and it meant he could stay with him a bit longer.

Maybe he was the one who was going to end up spoiling Percy most. How anyone denied a little darling like this anything, he didn’t understand.

They were still standing halfway down the hall, but there was no point in fetching Elizabeth now. They’d figured it out. Just needed a minute to learn about each other was all.

“Shall we let your mum be after all?” Thomas murmured. “Hm? Let’s see what else we can find. I doubt you were given a tour of the facilities either.”

Across the hall from the living room where they came was another small sitting room with a single narrow sofa and a large picture window with what would have been a view of the front garden in the daylight. Only a small table lamp lit up the room in a soft light.

The Ellis’s Christmas tree stood in front of the window, glass ornaments glinting in the yellowed light. Percy reached out towards it, cooing in a way that Thomas could only take a stab at translating.

“Yeah, pretty isn’t it?” he said, pointing himself. “We can go take a look.”

Upon closer inspection, the tree was drying out, with needles scattering the floor, and more falling if it was touched too roughly. The Ellises were likely trying to make it last long enough for these celebrations with the whole family. Even though it was the fifth of January, it still held onto that holiday feeling.

And the tinsel, strings of beads and ornaments that decorated it were still lovely. Their sparkle didn’t dwindle with time.

Thomas hoped Richard realized how lucky he was, to have a family that went out of their way to perform these little gestures, done just so he and his siblings and nieces and nephews could have a happier Christmas. It would be so easy to do without them, but they were taken care of anyway. 

He reached out and tapped one of the glass baubles delicately, just enough so it got caught in the lamplight, twinkling a little.

Percy giggled a little at the sight, resting his head once more on Thomas’s shoulder, reaching out a hand again to try it for himself.

Thomas took his hand in his own to stop him before he could hit anything. No one would thank him for letting a baby smash glass all over the hardwood floors.

“Just look, don’t touch, dear,” he whispered. But of course, Percy didn’t understand anything he was saying, only just getting a grasp of the world as a whole in general, let alone language, so he tried again, only giggling more.

A softer ornament, a small deer on a string, covered in canvas, hung near the top, out of Percy’s reach, but served for a less fragile alternative.

Thomas plucked it from the branch, more pine needles falling in the process, and dangled it in front of Percy’s face so he could grab it for himself.

“Yeah, how about that?” he whispered again as Percy took it by the leg and promptly bit down on its ear. “I think he may be a bit friendlier anyway.”

Percy settled into his chest a bit more, curling his other arm underneath him as he continued to naw on the decoration, which he hoped Ann wouldn’t be too upset over if it got returned a bit out of shape.

Thomas returned his other hand to rubbing circles on Percy’s back as he sat himself down on the sofa, making sure Percy could still turn and look about the room if he pleased.

“Well, I’m glad I’ve won over at least one person so far tonight, Percy,” Thomas said to him, as if he could respond. “Not sure the impression I’ve made on the rest of your family yet. Your mum made it seem like we’ll get along. Haven’t seen much of your sister after she said hello at the door, before she ran off with your cousins. Perhaps you can vouch for me.”

Percy didn’t respond other than breathing against Thomas’s chest.

“Us new folks we got to stand our ground together, right?” Thomas continued with a light chuckle. “But I’d be surprised if you haven’t already made your mark. I know your Uncle Dick was very excited to finally meet you. So with me and him, you’ve got two in your corner. Got me beat.”

Percy turned his head over on Thomas’s chest, sighing deeply. He took that as a cue to stop his ramblings and just enjoy the warm, low lighting and chatter in the distance as well, closing his eyes. Admittedly, he didn’t get much sleep last night, going over all the possible wrong turns today could take, and the train ride from Downton to York didn’t make for an easy nap.

He wasn’t sure how long he'd been out when Richard knocked lightly on the wall. He actually wasn’t sure if he was really asleep, or just deeply relaxed.

“Figured you two stole away somewhere,” he joked, settling next to Thomas, thankfully much closer than before in the living room.

“He got a bit sad at first, but we sorted ourselves out,” he murmured, shifting up from where he’d sunken into the couch, keeping a steady hand on Percy’s back so he didn’t get jostled. “Did Elizabeth mind terribly?”

Richard laughed, low, short and sincere as he draped an arm over Thomas’s shoulders, rubbing his upper arm.

“No, she’ll probably thank you for it, to tell you the truth,” he said just as low. “She’d been saying he’s a pain to try and get to sleep.”

Thomas looked down, and sure enough, Percy was out cold, still clutching the little deer.

“You might end up with some drool on you, though,” Richard continued, putting a hand over Thomas’s where it lay on Percy’s back.

Thomas stifled a laugh of his own. “Well, luckily I know how to get a stain out.”

He looked over at Richard, whose own eyes were on his nephew, watching him doze off, like he was the most perfect thing he’d ever seen. 

It wasn’t his place to think so, not yet anyway, but he couldn’t help but agree.

“Do you want to take him?” he asked quietly, not quite a whisper.

He hadn’t had a chance to properly hold his own nephew yet. Probably should have been offered the opportunity before Thomas took it upon himself.

“Hm?” Richard muttered, meeting his gaze for a brief second before turning back to Percy, a small smile teasing at his lips. “Oh, no, he looks perfectly comfy where he’s at.”

Thomas smiled at Richard, even though he wasn’t looking at him anymore, taking the comment as an invitation to press more into his side, as Richard tugged him closer by the shoulder.

“You do this so naturally,” Richard murmured in his ear as he drew closer. “It’s like you were made to… take the most care of the littlest things. Make them feel safe. Content.”

Thomas stiffened a bit. A part of him wanted to tell Richard that he wished he wouldn’t say things like that. He already knew the lengths he’d gone through once to have even a chance at something like this in his own life. And that all it brought was a lot of pain and anger and berating himself over a number of dumb choices and lost money.

But he knew Richard didn’t mean it that way. It was said with such a fondness and honesty that he couldn’t find the energy to be distressed. 

In any other life he wouldn’t have known what it felt like to be wrapped in the arms of a man who he fell in love with, and a man who loved him even more in return, while he was allowed to dote on his nephew in a home that welcomed them both.

That was more than enough to accept the lot he was given. So instead of saying something smart, he let himself melt even more into Richard’s arms as he pressed a kiss to his temple.

“He is a darling little thing, isn’t he?” Thomas whispered.

“Mm,” Richard hummed in agreement as he squeezed around Thomas’s shoulders again. “You’re a darling thing, too.”

The cheek this man gave.

But he laughed, as Richard took a hand to the side of his face, getting a kiss to his lips this time, chaste and unhurried and making him shiver, even though it was as innocent a kiss could be.

“Thought you were trying not to seem obvious tonight, Mr. Ellis,” he said against his lips as they parted.

The tease earned Thomas another laugh, making him feel light all over again.

“Frankly, you should applaud me for going so long without getting you in my arms,” Richard retorted, Thomas’s face still in his palm. “And I don’t think he’ll tattle on us,” nodding down at Percy.

As if Thomas needed convincing to let him kiss him once more.


End file.
